Machine for extracting fibers



(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. P. BURDON.

MACHINE FOR EXTRAGTING FIBERS.

Patented June 28, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID PATTEN URDoN, OF SANFORD, ASSIGNOR TO THE BURDON PATENTS ASSOCIATION, on PALATKA, FLORIDA.

MACHINE FOR EXTRACTING FIBERS.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,430, dated June 28, 1887.,

Application filed July 10, 1886. Serial No. 207,727. (No model.)

To aZ Z whom. it may concern: like view of one of the heaters. Fig. 7 is a Belt known that I, DAVID PATTEN BURDON, detail View of plate 27. Fig. 8 is a dea citlzen of the United States, residing at Santached elevation of the rotary cylinder for eleford, 1 n the county of Orange and State of vating the reciprocating beaters. 5 Florida, have invented new and useful Im Referring to the drawings, in which like provements in Machines for Extracting Fireference-numeralsdenotecorrespondingparls bers, of which the following is a specification. in all the figures, 1 designates the longitudi- My 1nvention relates to improvements in nal base-sills of the frame of my improved machines for extracting fibers; and it consists fiber-extracting machine, which sills are ar- 6c [0 of the peculiar combination and novel conranged parallel with each other and connected struction and arrangement of the various by' horizontal platforms 2 and 3, arranged at parts for service, substantially as hereinafter the front and rear ofthe machine, respectfully set forth, and particularly pointed outin ively. To the sills 1, nearly in the middle the claims. thereof, are afiixed uprights or standards 5, 1 The object of my invention is to provide a which are connected at their upper ends by a machine for extracting fibers from grasses, horizontal support, 6, that is suitably secured mosses, and all classes of fibrous plants,which thereto-as, for instance, by bolts or othershall be very reliable and efficient in opera-- wiseand these standards or uprights are tlon, and simple, strong," and durable in conbraced and strengthened by inclined braces 7, 2o struction; to provideimproved beaters which that are secured at their extremities to the shallbe alternately forced against the material said standards and the rear platform, 3, as to be operated upon with considerable pressshown. This frame is of sufficient strength ure or power, to efieet the separation of the and stability to resist the strain and shock that fibers with great rapidity and increase the efli is'brought thereon when the machine is in op- 25 clency of the machine; to provide a resilient eration; but I would have it understoodthat bed which shall cushion the force of the blows I do not intend to confine myself to the exact delivered by the heaters on the work, and construction herein shown and described, as thereby prevent injury or damage to the beatchanges therein can be made without departers; to provide an improved carrier for feed ingfrom the principle of my invention. o ing the work along beneaththe heaters and To the uprights or standards 5 are secured present different portions of thematerial to horizontal bars or beams S, which are arranged the heaters to be acted on thereby, the movenear the ends of the said standards, and with ment of the carrier being effected automaticthese beams 8 are connected the ends of transally and simultaneously with the elevation of verse plates or bars 9 by means of short studs 8 5 3 5 the last of the series of heaters, so that a new or arms 10, which lie between the ends of the surface of work is presented for the heaters beams and the plates or bars, vertical guideupon the downstroke thereof; and to provide bars 11 for the heaters being arranged hemeans whereby the strokes of the. heaters can tween the beams and the plates and secured be arrested and the'beaterscan be elevated thereto by screws or otherwise, so that they 40 above the material and out of contact thereare not liable to become easily displaced. with, so that it can be taken from the carrier These guides 11 are arranged parallel with or examined or replaced by other material, all and at equal distances from each other, so as as hereinafter fully set forth. i: to provide intervening spaces in which the In the accompanying drawings,which illusheaters are arranged. The heaters 12 slide or 45 trate a fiber-extracting machine embodying reciprocate freely between the guides and are my invention, Figure 1 is a front elevation of prevented from lateral play thereby, while the same. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. they are free to move vertically, and at their 3 is a side elevation. Fig. 4 is a vertical seclower ends the heaters have enlarged heads tional view on the line m-a; of Fig. 1'. Fig. 5 13, which may be formed integral with them, I00 0 is a detail view of the means for retaining the if they are of metal, or which may be secured heaters in an elevated position. Fig. 6 is a to them, asshown herein. The side edges of the enlarged heads 13 of the heaters extend or project laterally beyond the beater-shafts, so that when they are elevated by the mechan- 1s1n which I will describe presently the said extended edges of the heads are brought into contact with the lowermost beams, S, and the corresponding plate, 9, so that the upward play or stroke of the beater is limited and displacement thereof prevented. Thelower or working surface of the head of each of the heaters is provided with a series of grooves, which form projecting ribs 14, that extend beyond the lower edges of the head proper and act upon the material which is placed beneath the heaters. These ribs or projections are arranged parallel with each otherand in straight lines across the working faces of the said heads, as shown in Fig. (i; but the form and arrangement of the ribs can be varied, it only being necessary that the lower working-surfaces of the heads of theheatersshall be roughened or corrugated. The upper ends of the heaters are extended above the frame ofthc machine, and are notched at 15, for a purpose to be hereinafter described, and the heaters are further provided with lifter-arms 16, (shown in Figs. 3 and 4,) which are secured thereto on their rear faces and near their middle points. These lifter-arms 16 are provided with rightangled arms 17, by means of which and screws or nails the said arms 16 are secured to the heaters, and on the upper edge of the arm 17 of each of the lifter'arms bears a spring, 18, which is preferably curved longitudinally and secured at its opposite end to a transverse or horizontal beam or bar, 20, that is rigidly and securely affixed to the inclined braces or struts of the frame, as clearly shown, the said spring serving to assist in depressing the heater after the teeth on a revolving cylinder are drawn away from the lifter arm of the heater, as presently described. A rotary shaft, 21, is journaled in suitable hearings on the vertical standards or uprights 5, which is to be rotated or driven by power from any suitable motor or source, and this shaft carries a cylinder, 22, which is rigidly affixed to the shaft and rotates therewith. The cylinder is arranged or located between the uprights 5, and on its periphery has .1 series of projecting teeth or fingers, 23, which act upon the lifter-arms or fingers of the heaters to elevate the latter, the said lifter arms being arranged in the path of the fingers of the cylinder. The fingers on the cylinder are arranged thereon out of line with each other, so that they act upon the lifter-arms of the heaters at different periods of time, whereby the heaters are operated independently and alternately of each other, no two heaters acting upon the material at the same time. I preferably employ four of the heaters, although the number thereof can be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention, and the cylinder carries eight teeth or fingers, two of which are provided for each of the heaters and which act upon it sue ccssivel y, so that each beater makes or is given two strokes at each revolution of the toothed cylinder. The ends of the shaft 21, that carries the rotating cylinder for actuating the heaters, are extended beyond the uprights 5, one end of said shaft having a crank or other device connected therewith for thepurpose of driving it from a suitable motor, and the other end carrying an eccentric, 24, which has apin, 25, near or at its periphery, said pin havinga rotary block secured or affixed rigidly thereto. The eccentric 24 of the shaft works or rotates in a slot or opening, 26, of a vertically-movable bar, 27, that bears against one of the standards or uprights 5 of the main frame; and to the rotary block of the eccentric-pin is pivotally connected the upper end of alink or pitman, 28, which has its opposite end connected in like manner with the verticallymovable bar 27, so that, by means of the co centric working in the slot of the bar and the pitman connected thereto, the bar is caused to reciprocate simultaneously with the revolutions of the shaft and the cylinder. The vertically-movable or reciprocating bar 27 is slotted at its upper and lower ends longitudinally, as at 29, and through these slots are passed headed guidepins 30, which are affixed to wearplates 31, that are secured to one of the standards 5, to decrease or lessen the friction be tween the standard and the bar 27, as is ohvious. The bar 27 is held in proper place on the standard 5 by the headed pins, while at the same time it can reciprocate freely, and the lower end of this bar is pivoted to a horizontal arm 32, which has a longitudinal slot, 33, through which is passed one of the trunnions 34 of the roller or drum 35. The roller or drum is arranged in a horizontal position on one side of the frame, and its shaft, or the trunnions thereof, are journaled in suitable bearings, 36, that are affixed to the base-sills 1 of the main frame. The horizontally-disposed arm is supported by the said trunnion or shaft of the roller or drum, and it is also free to move or oscillate under the motion or stroke of the lOCll'HOCtllililg bar 27, and to the outer free end of this arm 32 is pivoted one end of a pawl, 37, that takes into the teeth of a ratchet-wheel, 38, that is secured on and rotates with the shaft of the .drum or roller 35, so that the said roller will be driven by motion from the shaft 21, which, for the sake of convenience, I will hereinafter term the drivingshaft, which is transmitted through the reciprocating-bar 27, as is obvious.

A roller or drum, 60, is located on the opposite side of the main frame to and in line with the roller or drum 35, and has its shaft or trunnions journaled in suitable bearings, 39, that are secured to the frame, or to the basesills thereof. A traveling carrier, 40, of any pliable material-as, for instance, leather or canvaspasses over these rollers or drums 35 and 60, and the carrier is moved or caused to travel in one direction continuously by the lOO mot-ion from the drum 35, ratchet-wheel, pawl,

and reciprocating bar 27.. The drum 35 is base-sills 1, said carrier being arranged immeately beneath the enlarged corrugated heads of the heaters.

The work or material to be acted upon by the heaters is placed upon the traveling. carrier and fed thereby beneath the heaters, and be-' neath the carrier is arranged a resilient bed, which consists, essentially, of a plate, 42, and cushion-springs 43. These springs are supported on or connected in any suitable manner to the base-sills of the machine, and beneath the central part of the carrieris arranged a longitudinally-curved spring or spring-bar, 44, (shown clearly in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) which is secured at its ends to the sills 1; and the plate 42 rests on all the springs and is supported thereby, the heaters acting upon the traveling carrier and the plate to depress. the springs, which yield and obviate the danger of injuring the heaters. works between the vertical strips 45, which are arranged on opposite sides of the same to form a channel for the passage of the-material, so that it cannot be displaced from the carrier.

I will now describe my preferred mechanism for retaining one or all of the reciprocating heaters in an elevated position to permit the material upon which they operate to be inspected or changed. A rock-shaft, 48, is

jonrnaled at or near its'ends in suitable bearings, 49, which are afiixed to the longitudinal support-connecting the standards 5 at their upper ends. This rock shaft carries a series of arms, 50, which project or extend upward from the rock-shaft and have their free ends provided with angular lips 51, which are adaptedto take or fit beneath notches or shoulders at the upper .ends of the heaters, so that the latter are prevented from falling or descending when the lips fit beneath the sh0ul-. ders thereon. Thearms 50 of the rock-shaft are further provided with rearward-extending fingers 52, that lie or fit beneath a shaft, 53, which is also journaled in the bearings 49, said shaft being arranged above and in rear of the rock-shaft 48 and made square or rectangular incross-section. The ends of the V shaft 53 have trunnions 54, and when the shaft The traveling carrier i v a 55, so that the lips of the arms will project or extend into the notches to prevent the descent of the heaters. The arms are actuated simuh taneously and controlled by the rock-shaft 48,

v and the shaft 53 can be conveniently operated by the hand of the attendant by means of the crank or lever 56, that is affixed to the shaft,

as shown. l

This being the constructlon of my lmproved machine, the operationthereof is as follows:

The work is first placed on the carrier and power communicated to the driving-shaft to rotate the same and the toothed cylinder. The teeth orfingers of the cylinder then act upon the'lifter-arms that lie in their path on the vertically-movable heaters, and the latter are elevated successively and independently of each other. Vhen the teeth or fingers of the rotary drum are'drawn away from the lifterarms of the heaters, the springs force the beaters down upon the material, and the corrugated working-faces of the heads thereof act upon it on the carrier to separate the fibers thereof by stamping or pressing them out. Simultaneously with the vertical movenientof the heaters the reciprocating bar 27 is actuated by the eccentric onthe driving-shaft and the.

link, thus oscillating the horizontal arm to of any character without injury or damage to the fibers, and requires but a small amount of power for its successful operation.

Various changes in the form and proportion of parts and details of construction can be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fiber-extracting machine, the combination, with the longitudinally and vertically reciprocating heaters, of the carrier arranged beneath the same, the driving and idler drums over which the carrier passes and is actuated, and a resilient bed arranged beneath the carrier to cushion the strokes or blows of the heaters thereon, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a fiber-extracting machine, the combination, with the reciprocating heaters and the rotary cylinder for elevating the latter, of the carrier arranged beneath the heaters, the driving and idler drums over which the carrier works, and mechanism between the rotary cylinder and the driving-drum for rotating the latter, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

3. A fiberextraoting machine comprising the heaters, the rotary cylinder for elevating the latter, the resilient bed beneath the beaters, the traveling carrier working over the bed, the drums or rollers for supporting the carrier, and ratchet mechanism intermediate ofthe rotary cylinder and one of the rollers or drums for rotating the latter, substantially as described.

4. A fiber extracting machine comprising the heaters, a rotary cylinder for elevating the heaters, a resilient bed comprising the plate and the cushion-springs supporting theplate, and an intermittently -traveling carrier arranged to work over the bed. substantially as described. for the purpose set forth.

A fiber-extracting machine comprising the heaters, the rotary cylinder for actuating the heaters, the eccentric carried by the cylinder-shaft, the vertieally-movable bar actuated by the eccentric and having the guidepins passing through slots therein, an oscillating arm connected with and actuated by the vertically-movable bar and carrying a pawl, the driving-pulley carrying a ratchet with which the pawl engages, the idler pulley or drum, and the traveling carrier connecting the idler and driving pulleys, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the heaters, a rockshaft carrying a series of arms adapted to engage the heaters and retain them in an elevated position, and means for osclllatlng the rock-shaft, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination of the heaters having the shoulders, the arms having the lips to engage the shoulders, the shaft for controlling the arms, and the springs bearing against the arms, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the heaters having the shoulders, the roclcshaf t carrying the ar ms provided with the lips, the springs bearing against the arms, and the shaft haying the eeeentric-bearings for actuating the arms, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID PATTEN BURDON.

Witnesses:

L. M. MooN, J. N. Brsnor. 

